The Apo-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH is said to be the sharpest-ever standard lens. I’ve been using it for a year and, while I couldn’t confirm this to be true, I can tell you that it is the sharpest lens I have ever used. Its performance is belied by its rather modest appearance: Apart from the focus tab—a welcome addition in my book—this pricey optic looks just like the humble 50mm f/2 Summicron which costs not much more than a quarter of the £5,900 price.
Potential buyers will be pleased to hear that this superb lens is now available in a silver anodised finish, similar to the option long available on the basic Summicron.
Leica press release
LEICA APO-SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2 ASPH.
Sharpest ever standard lens now available in silver anodised finish
Leica Camera has today announced that the APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH. is now available in a silver anodised version. Thanks to its meticulous optical design, high quality materials, and sophisticated manufacturing and finishing process, this high-performance lens is considered to be the reference lens among standard focal lengths.
With its combination of exceptional sharpness and imaging performance that captures and resolves even the finest details, the APO-Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 ASPH. is characterised by extremely high contrast rendition from corner to corner of the image – at maximum aperture and throughout the aperture range. The use of a floating element in its design ensures that this is also maintained at close shooting distances.
Eight lens elements are employed to achieve this outstanding optical performance. Three of the lenses are made from glass types with anomalous partial dispersion or apochromatic correction, and two have a high refractive index. The specially-formulated glass employed is based on original developments from the former Leitz glass laboratory, and the use of this particular glass requires extensive effort and many years of experience. Thanks to continuous advancements in optical technology, processes have since been refined and perfected to achieve the best possible image quality.
As with all other Leica lenses, the Leica APO-Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 ASPH. was designed and developed by Leica specialists in Wetzlar and represents the perfect combination of optical and technical expertise. Exceptionally reliable with enduring value, and with the ‘Made in Germany’ quality guarantee, the lens is manufactured from the finest materials and is meticulously assembled by hand. This combination of cutting-edge technology and precise manufacturing procedures ensures consistent excellence at all times.
Pricing and availability
The Leica APO-Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 ASPH. (silver anodised) is scheduled to be available at the end of July 2016 at a suggested retail price of £5,900 including VAT.
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Hi Mike
The black/silver differential in price on this lens is quite significant, more than any other M lens as far as I can see. Even the mighty Noctilux is only £200 more in chrome (and for a lot more brass and chrome than the APO 50). About £500 extra seems to be the sum of it for the chrome APO. I wondered how Leica justifies this, but then I woke up and realised we are talking about Leica……
I’m not at all tempted to change from my black APO.
Regards
John
Even with the depleted value of Sterling, that is 7,000 Euro. I bought my second hand 50 Summicron for 440 Euro some years ago and it is just perfect. I won’t be buying not even to match my chrome M240.
William
Hi William, you acquired that Summicron for a very good price, mine was £500 and it is the DR version which won’t run on the digital M’s…
Saying that though, I had heard that the Leica/Minolta 40mm F2 was a very good lens, and I have to say I am very pleased…
I am likely to keep looking for a decent 35mm and 50mm though, frame-lines being the issue, the 40mm is always a rough estimate game.
Stephen
And I got a Canadian 90mm Summicron for about 650 Euro in the same transaction. You are right about the 50 DR , it should only be used on film Ms. My example is superb but I did have some difficulty getting spectacles that worked. My 50 Summicron is black chrome but came with a black paint cap and it compares very well with my 50 Summilux which is chrome and would be a very good substitute for a hand grenade as it is extremely heavy for its size. At the time I bought the 50 Summilux it was exactly the same price as the black model even though it weighs more and seems to have been made from different materials compared to the black model.
I got the 40 Summicron in a set with a 50th Anniversary Leica CL. It works very well on digital models but it is not quite in the same class as the 50 Summicron and Summilux. For framing on a non CL camera I would use the 50mm frame-lines and crop if there is anything you don’t like in the extra coverage.
William
I meant to say that £500 is not a bad price for the DR, particularly if it came with the spectacles. I have both the 50 DR and the normal Summicron.
William